Malicious Inferno
by SkadiLokison
Summary: Rydenna of Greenwood witnessed the fall of Dale and has been traumatized ever since. When the heirs of Durin and Gandalf the Grey show up on her doorstep, she's swept up in the epic quest to regain the Lonely Mountain... and even starts to conquer the demons that have plagued her for years.
1. The Beginning

**The Beginning**

Every dwarf knows the tale.

They've all heard of the city of Dale and the Kingdom of Erebor.

Everyone who was there saw what happened, and yet we rarely speak of it. The devastation… the many innocents that burned in spite of a dragon's greed… you don't exactly talk of such things.

Though as for me, I ran away from it. I wanted it out of my life and never to be heard of again. I took refuge in an old abandon house on the edge of the Greenwood, praying that no one could ever find me here.

I couldn't bare to ever look back upon the city of Dale ever again… not after what I had witnessed there.

Sometimes at night, I could still hear their screams, crying out for salvation. Then I'd awake and see I was all alone, that the dragon fire wasn't real at the moment…

Most nights I went without sleep, staying up and going through my things, praying the town over didn't think I was a madwoman for doing so.

I heard the rumours, that most people believe me to be a ghost, driven insane by the loss of her family.

But the thing is, you can't lose a family if you don't have one.

But it was a good thing these rumours were around, it meant that nobody ever dared go near my home. They were too frightened to do so, which granted me privacy. I needed to be alone, not because I was traumatized, but because I loved the feeling of being alone.

So you can guess how furious I was one morning when I had woken up to find three dwarves and a wizard sitting in my small living room, patiently waiting.

How long they had been there was a mystery to me, but I didn't care at the moment. All that mattered was me resisting to throw the nearest thing at all of them.

The wizard looked up and smiled gently. "Good morning."

"Get out."

The three dwarves all jumped slightly, scared of me. I got a good look at their faces and nearly dropped when I saw the one in my favorite chair.

His once pure black hair now had streaks of grey, and he seemed weary, tired from his long journey. That face could belong to one one but… no… it can't be him…

But there he was, sitting in my house… with Gandalf the Grey…

Thorin Oakenshield looked me dead in the eye and saw the pure shock and sadness in my face. He then lowered his eyes and pretended my floor was intriguing.

The wizard just nodded his head and the two other dwarves who were at his side just looked at each other.

One of them, with blonde hair and braided blonde beard decided to speak directly to the dark haired one on the other side of Gandalf even though there were clearly other people in the room.

"See? I told you this wasn't worth it, Kili."

"Don't look at me Fili, it was Gandalf's idea." responded the dark haired dwarf whose name was apparently Kili.

I cleared my throat and the two stopped speaking before they could bicker any more. Once the look of shame came across their faces, I began to speak to all of them once more. "I'll say it again, get out."

Gandalf seemed to think this was amusing, since he was laughing a little bit. "Now why would you want us to leave? After all, we are your guests."

"You're unwelcome guests," I snapped, "and I suggest you leave now before I murder to lot of you."

The dark haired dwarf, Kili, had the guts to cross his arms and scoff at me. "You're not going to, though."

Thorin glared at the dwarf, scolding him as he spoke. "You don't know what you speak of. I suggest you hold your tongue if you wish to live."

And he did, which was a relief, because I honestly couldn't live up to my threat. The only person who knew that was the wizard… in fact he was also the only one in here who knew my full story.

As to why he was here, it was puzzling. However, if he was here, it was for a good reason… and I should have the decency to let him speak for just a few moments so I can figure out why he brought those insubordinate dwarves into my peaceful abode.

I ended up each getting them a drink and then sitting down, getting a fire started. All four were shocked at my hospitality, but I wanted answers so I had to.

Once the spark turned into a soft glow, I reclined against a wall and said, "alright, why exactly are you here?"

Thorin set down his drink and folded both his hands in his lap. "I've been told you were there when Dale was… attacked…" he spoke softly, as if he were afraid that someone nearby would hear his words.

I didn't see why he was worried, no one ever comes by my house anyways. Like I said, people think I'm a ghost.

But instead of telling him this and being snarky, I just nodded my head yes in reply, knowing that the subject was more sensitive to the dwarves than it was for me.

Thorin, son of Thrain, began to grow more relaxed knowing I was no longer as hostile as I was a few moments ago. He had my interest, and he knew it, which in this situation was fine for the moment.

But I currently had the upperhand, and if that changed, then so would I.

He continued to speak, telling me of his plans to reclaim the Lonely Mountain.

To say that this task was impossible was an understatement, not to mention the fact that he's probably going to die by the time they reach the mountain. "You do realize what lies in that mountain is worse than a thousand orcs or goblins, right? And there's no possible way you can-"

"Which is why we need you," he interjected, "to be our sort of… protection, I suppose is the word."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. These idiots weren't serious, were they?

The sad reality soon hit me: they were. These imbeciles were going to venture on a quest they would never return from.

But protection? Why me for protection?

Thorin knows nothing of who I am, nor do the other two… unless the wizard told them… oh that son of a-

"Gandalf tells us you're skilled with a sword. More skilled than most." Kili piped up. He bit his lower lip, afraid he may have made a wrong move.

Well… I guess I can assume Gandalf didn't say anything else… clearly they would have brought it up by now.

Seizing the opportunity, I took my dagger off the mantle of the fireplace, fiddling with it as they began to persuade me into joining their hopeless attempt at ever regaining a home.

 _Home…_

Home was the place where you felt safe… where you knew you belonged… I hadn't had anything like that in ages… maybe that's why they're doing this… because they want to belong somewhere once again…

And if this means restoring Dale to it's former glory, then so be it.

"What do you require of me?" I inquired, standing up and awaiting an answer from them. I could see a small light in their eyes as they realized I was willing to partake in this perilous quest.

Kili and Fili were ready to bounce around the room like reckless morons, and for the first time in my life, I saw Thorin Oakenshield smile. Not in all my time in Dale did I ever see the heir to the throne of Erebor smile.

Gandalf the Grey arose from my chair and shook my hand with his right, and handed me a contact with his left. "Just sign here… and all will be in order." He stated.

All I could do was nod my head and begin to pack my things, searching for a quill in the process. I did eventually find one atop my desktop, and I didn't waste a moment signing my name on the perfectly dotted line.

And this, dear reader, is where my story begins. The story of an adventurous girl who wanted so desperately to clear away her guilt and the tragedy of love that follows.

This is the part of the tale filled with betrayal and regret.

This is the story of the malicious inferno that plagued my life until now.


	2. Of Drunk Arrows And Men

**Of Arrows and Drunk Men**

 _One Year Later_

Most would think that a single girl in a pub with two men at her side would obviously be some prostitute, looking to snag some money off the poor suckers, but this was not the case for my situation.

You see, after I had officially joined the company of Thorin Oakenshield, it turned out that everyone wasn't exactly traveling yet, for we still had one missing member. Once we had this member, we'd all meet where Gandalf would direct us to, and then begin our journey.

So, in order to pass the time without sitting around my house waiting for a letter, I graciously accepted the invitation to join the youngest members of the company and spend some time with them.

And by "spend some time," they meant going to every pub and seeing who could out drink the other.

Out of the three of us, Fili was in third with only an average of three pints per trip, while Kili and I were in a vicious death match to see who could be number one, since we're trapped at the same quantity (six pints and counting).

Of course, as the competitive person I am, I refused to let Kili, heir of Durin, to out drink me. I would have that number one spot… my name would go down in legends as the only girl to beat these two imbeciles at their own drinking game…

Hey, I was drunk. Give me a break.

But Kili was a fierce warrior, and was determined to keep his title. He kept downing pint after pint, trying his best to keep up with me.

Eventually, after eight pints, he caved, slamming his glass on the table, beer spilling out of it and foaming on the table. "I give in!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms up into the air, a large smile growing across his face.

I couldn't help but feel relieved, since all this was going to hurt tomorrow morning when I got that nasty hangover that always followed nights like these.

It dawned upon me that in all my years, I hadn't had this much fun with anybody in quite some time… not to mention the fact that I finally had something close to friends.

Kili, Fili, and I had grown close over the year we've been together, and I must say, though they are reckless and sometimes dumber than a bag of hammers, they've been very kind to me.

Fili just rolled his eyes, disappointed in his younger brother. "I expected more from you… now you've lost your title to Rydenna."

"Whatever… for Erebor!"

I couldn't help but laugh loudly. "Kili… you're drunk!"

This he responded with an even louder cry, "We're all drunk!"

The many people around us began to chat even louder, so I basically had to yell for Kili and Fili to hear me. "What do you say? Another round as a celebration of my victory!?"

The two nodded and cheered with approval. Three casks of ale were brought out, one for each of us. I knew we wouldn't be able to finish it all, but we could take it on the road. Usually anything with alcohol was of use in case one of us - mainly Kili -accidentally fell off our horse and ended up receiving a nasty cut.

Fili downed his, but Kili and I couldn't get in another drink. The taste mixed with the beer and nearly made me vomit. Well… I did vomit, but that didn't matter at the moment. All the mattered was that I was having fun, and nothing else.

The three of us idiots figured we'd had enough, and we began to stumble out of the stout little building, the road of people growing softer as we zig zagged through streets, trying to make our way back to the little inn we had taken refuge in.

It was difficult, but our somewhat sober, blonde haired dwarf guided me and the dazed archer to our respective rooms.

However, we didn't stay upright the entire way, and once we were within a close enough range of the beds, Kili collapsed onto the one closest to the window while I slowly eased onto the one closer to the door.

Oh, would I regret this tomorrow…

I could hear the groaning of the the brothers, clearly out of it. I, however, seemed conscious enough to get up and get myself some water, which I did so after rolling off the bed and colliding with the wooden floor.

Fili was slouched against a wall, holding a wet cloth to his forehead. "You know," he began, "I bet I'm a better archer than Kili while he's drunk…"

This comment made his brother shoot up, his messy brown hair sticking to his sweaty forehead. He cross his arms and turned up his nose like a selfish royal princess who thought of nothing but herself. "Out of the two of us, who's the archer and who can only use a sword in a life or death situation?"

Fili sensed that his younger and more gullible brother was falling right into his little trap. "Then I suggest a challenge," the dwarf stated, a smug smile painted across his face. "Rydenna, I'm going to need an apple…"

The two brothers both nodded in unison, as if they already knew what the other was thinking. I on the other hand, was already making my bet on who'd win (my money was on Fili due to the fact he hadn't down as much as Kili and I had, and that he'd actually been working hard on our days on the road with his bow).

We had gathered in a small open field just seconds away from the little inn, a wooden pole in a completely random spot was perfect to help keep the target in line (which was more difficult than expected).

Kili leaned effortlessly against the pole, desperately struggling to balance the fruit atop his head. Fili had been elected to go first, saying it'd be safer if he did. People were less likely to die that way, though I still didn't think he should since Kili was by far the better archer.

The fruit wobbled as the target did, and Fili fumbled with the arrows. I could do nothing but laugh as I watched, the various drinks I had had were starting to make me see double.

However, despite my current state, I could still see the arrow trembling as it rested against the bow string. It was far off the target of the fruit, so I quickly ran over and helped him aim. Once he expressed his drunken gratitude, I stepped back, and allowed myself to enjoy the show.

To say that Fili was concentrating was more than an understatement. His forehead shone with constellations of sweat, reflecting the moonlight. The large risk of the two of them losing their lives was high, and his slightly sane mind knew it.

Then, he released the arrow. Time became still as it soared through the inky night, piercing through the veil of air around it. Then, as it was about to hit it's mark, it stopped.

It was completely still.

In the moment, I assumed it was just the beer, but then my eyes caught glimpses of the dwarves' reactions. We were all seeing the same phenomenon, which meant it most certainly had to be real.

As a wise man once told me, once you've eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.

This arrow standing still in the air, without ever hitting anything, had to be there.

"It won't do you any good if you arrive in Erebor with an arrow through your head." Exclaimed a low, gravely voice in the near distance. All three of us turned to where the voice had originated from, and were more than shocked to see the wizard in his usual grey robes and matching hat. His staff was pointed right at the arrow which was inches away from Kili's face.

Instantly, it dropped to the ground. "What on Earth are you doing?" He added, examining each of us.

"Oh your greyness…" began Kili, "we were just having a bit of fun. You see, Fili here is supposed to shoot an apple off my head."

The old man nodded, leaning against his staff. "I see… then why do you have an orange atop your head instead of this apple you claim to have instead."

I couldn't help but let out a small snicker, for you see, I had found an apple… but I instead decided to partake of it myself and swap it out for the closest thing I could find, an orange.

Kili looked quite confused, and grabbed the orange off of his head. "It an apple- wait! No it's not!" He seemed quite distressed at this and began to panic slightly.

His brother turned to me, pure shock was expressed through his facial features. "Rydenna! You were supposed to get an apple!"

"I did. It was delicious."

This set the boys off, and they began to run around in circles until they collided with each other. Gandalf stood over them, laughing a little. "Come along now boys, sober up. We leave at dawn."

"Come on Gandy," began Fili who was sprawled across his younger brother, the bow still clutched in his hands, "just five more minutes…"

The wizard looked dead at me as he spoke his next sentence. "I'm afraid not… for you see, I've found our burglar."


	3. Mr Baggins

**Mr. Baggins**

Our journey to the burglar started three days later, once we were feeling more like ourselves. Our bags had been packed with the three casks of ale for emergencies only so that we wouldn't have another incident of one shooting an arrow at the other (Gandalf's idea, not ours).

The wizard did not travel with us, instead he went ahead to gather the other dwarves that I still hadn't met quite yet. Apparently, according to the boys, there were about thirteen dwarves, one burglar, and one huntress in the company, plus a wizard. Fifteen people on one long journey seemed to be a bit much in my opinion, but I shouldn't question this, or I might regret it.

According to Gandalf, we were to head towards Bag End, in the hills of the Shire. Our burglar would be found there, in a hole in the ground. This statement was quite puzzling, but I went with it anyways.

The only piece of information that didn't make my mind ache was the guy's name.

Mr. Baggins.

Simple enough for a burglar, but I'm the last person who should be judging names. My name has gotten me into so much trouble… this guy probably has it easier.

But alas, this thought only stayed in my mind for a few moments, because we reached a crossroads. "Which way?" I asked, trying to pinpoint our location with our map, which had proven to be useless until now.

The two dwarves hopped off their ponies and scouted out the area, their weapons on hand. I dismounted my horse and grabbed my bow and quiver from their respective bags and within moments, had an arrow at the ready.

"What's going on?" Was all that came out of my mouth. Not "be careful" or even a "we need to keep going."

No, I just stared out into the woods, looking for anyone suspicious.

It took me time, but I made out the outline of a grey furred creature with teeth like daggers and eyes that glimmered in the light. I took my shot and hit the Warg directly in the eye. It dropped with a loud thud, scaring both Kili and Fili. They marveled in the fact I had taken down the thing before it could even begin to attack us.

I simply allowed myself to smile and become impressed with my own handiwork.

We then set off on the left road, with me in the lead since clearly, I'm the one who can spot danger.

They didn't understand how I did it, for no normal person can see that well. "I was selected for a reason, wasn't I?" was my witty response.

They seemed much more at ease with me in the lead, and were happily calling out directions for me since I've never been to this part of Middle Earth before. Bag End was always a mystery to me, and I'd never gotten the chance to explore it in all my years living.

Also, a humble being like myself didn't have the luxury of travel very often.

We look in awe at how vibrantly green the hills were, and how the forests were lush with kind beats and flowers of hues I hadn't ever laid eyes upon. There was a certain tranquility that made Kili, Fili, and I fell welcome and passive.

There was nothing to fear here, only the mosquitoes that would plague us every so often. Now why would a burglar want to live here? He had no place here if he was as good a burglar as Gandalf claimed he was…

It was plausible that the old man had lied to us and sent us on a wild goose chase… but what motive would he have for it? Surely he wasn't one to laugh in spite of others.

The idea kept nipping at me as we drew closer to a small town of… hobbits, I suppose. Their small, quaint little homes were nestled into the sides of the lush hills.

Dusk was soon upon us, and it was then we had begun to see a faint, glowing blue mark on one of the Hobbit Hole doors.

So this is what Gandalf meant when he had said our burglar lived in a hole… our burglar was a Hobbit. It made sense, a small creature like that could easily slip in and slip out of places easily, sometimes undetected.

Perhaps he had taken a small hiatus from his criminal ways and decided to settle here, in the hills of the Shire.

The sun was starting to become concealed by the lush greenery, and we were just a few feet away from the door of our fifteenth and final member. We dismounted the horses and left them tethered to a fence that surrounded the little neighborhood of Hobbits. There were two other horses there, which meant that at least two other dwarves had reached this place before us.

The three of us happily raced up the path and onto the smooth steps of the hobbit hole. Fili rapped his knuckle three time against the door and stepped back. We had subconsciously stood in a neat line, with Kili on my right and Fili on my left.

It took just a few moments for someone to open the door. He was a stout man, with big hairy feet, as all Hobbits have. His light, very curly brown hair came down halfway last his forehead and matched well with his earthly colored robe. He seemed very shocked to see that we were there, but we introduced ourselves nonetheless.

"Kili."

"Fili."

"And Rydenna."

We then spoke in unison, without actually planning to, "at your service."

The little Hobbit became more confused with each passing moment that he examined us. "You must be Mr. Boggins," Kili said directly to the Hobbit.

"Baggins," I corrected, allowing myself to roll my eyes. I absolutely hated poor grammar and mispronunciations, and it was second nature for me to correct others when such atrocities occurred.

Mr. Baggins did not seem very amused. "No, you can't come in, you've got the wrong house!" He tried to close the door, but Kili was quick and stopped it with his foot. "What? Has it been cancelled?!" His voice was slightly higher, indicating distress and confusion.

Fili began to think out loud, saying, "No one told us…"

"Can- nothing's been cancelled!" Mr. Baggins exclaimed, trying so desperately to hold himself together.

The two dwarves and I brushed past our burglar. "Well that's a relief," added Kili as we began to hand our stuff to our host for the night.

Fili took extra care placing his swords in the Hobbit's hands. "Careful with these, I just had them sharpened." A horrified expression came across Mr. Baggins' face.

The house was very lovely and cozy, like those nice inns you find every once in awhile on the road, but can never afford. The pantry was packed to the brim with food, which for me was an open invitation to feed myself. I went right for the red wine and pastries, having not tasted anything so delicious in years.

"It's a nice house," Kili began, "D'ya make it yourself?" He scraped the mud off his boots on the corner of a wooden box. I couldn't help but laugh a little. Looks like our burglar is in over his head… but what else are you to expect with dwarves?

The Hobbit seemed very flattered by this. "Ah, no… actually… it's been in the family for years- that is my mother's glory box! Can you please not do that?!"

He placed both his hands atop his head, taking deep breaths. He nearly flipped when he saw me lingering in the pantry. "Oh… not you too!" He cried out.

It was obvious now that this man had no idea as to why we were here. I wanted to say something, but perhaps there was reason to this madness. And besides, I was having too much fun watched the little man run about in a frenzy.

Suddenly, a large dwarf with long, matted dark hair and beard that surrounded his bald top came into the hallway where the brothers and I were. "Fili, Kili, come on and give us a hand." He gestured toward the furniture.

I nearly spat out the wine when I finally caught sight of him. This guy was HUGE for a dwarf, approximately close to 4" 5, maybe more… though he was still smaller than I, I couldn't help but feel slightly intimidated.

 _Come on, Rydenna, that's foolish. You've nothing to be intimidated by… they should be intimidated by you…_

I quickly dismissed the low, gravely voice in my head, trying not to pay attention to it. Usually when this occurred, it didn't bother me much… now my thoughts were starting to get more personal… more unsettling.

I hadn't spoken of it, but on the ride over, a similar thought had come to mind.

 _You know where you're going… the inevitable event you've always fear will soon be upon you…_

I had assumed it was just nothing… until now.

Before I could entertain the thought any longer, Fili and Kili, and two other dwarves (apparently named Dwalin and Balin) began to lug furniture around the house to make more room, which scared our poor Hobbit out of his wits.

His appalled look gave me slight amusement, and I joined in with the men, picking up an armchair and moving it to the side.

"Please tell me there aren't more of you…" grumbled our Hobbit.

To his dismay, his doorbell rang, which could only mean the rest of the party had arrived.


End file.
